The heartbreaking story of a young woman with cerebral palsy who tragically passed away two months after her medical emergency underscores the complexities faced during the global pandemic. On August 23, 2020, this 20-year-old’s family dialed 911 as she struggled to breathe, seeking immediate help.

In a shocking turn of events, the funeral home staff discovered her alive, gasping for air, upon opening the body bag later that same day. Despite being urgently rushed to the hospital, she unfortunately could not recover.

Reflecting on this tragedy, Southfield conveyed their deep condolences in a statement: “We recognize that no resolution can undo the profound tragedy that occurred on August 23, 2020, or ease the pain experienced by Ms. Beauchamp’s family.” They acknowledged the challenges posed by the pandemic, stating, “This case involved extraordinarily difficult circumstances that arose in the complex world of a global pandemic.”

Beauchamp was struggling to breathe when her family called 911. 

Later that day, a funeral home opened the body bag and found Beauchamp gasping for air.

She was swiftly taken to a hospital but never recovered.

“She was put in a situation she never should have been in,” Steven Hurbis, an attorney for Beauchamp’s family, said on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).

He added that medical professionals said Beauchamp would have survived if she was taken immediately to a hospital from her home.

The City of Southfield fought the lawsuit and persuaded a judge to dismiss it based on governmental immunity.

The Southfield fire chief had said Beauchamp’s situation might have been a case of “Lazarus syndrome,” a reference to people who come back to life without assistance after attempts to resuscitate have failed.